This invention relates to a scrap metal press for producing compacted scrap blocks. More in detail the invention relates to a press of the type having an inclined feeder box.
With a press of this type, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,253,388 to the same Applicant, the loose scrap metal, which is loaded through the top portion of the box, slides progressively toward the lowermost portion by gravity, where it is compacted at least in one direction transverse to the feeding direction and then sheared by means of guillotine shears located downstream of the compacting unit. The sheared block of compacted material is allowed to drop out of the press for removal.
A press of that kind affords a virtually continuous processing cycle because the material, owing to the inclination of the feeder box, moves constantly toward the compacting and shearing areas. Accordingly, the output rate of such a press can be quite high compared with other conventional presses which feature a discontinuous mode of operation owing to the material to be processed being loaded and fed discontinuously.
However, the tilted attitude of the press has the disadvantage that the scrap metal loading level has to be quite high, while a specially strong supporting structure is required to provide support for the massive inclined parts of the press.
In some cases, e.g. with certain types of heavy materials such as rails, large sectional members, etc., the scrap metal may come down with too much violence and cause those parts which are to take the impact to wear out quickly.
Such drawbacks could be attenuated by reducing the inclination of the feeder box on the horizontal, but this is only feasible up to a point, because too low an angle may make the scrap metal advancing movement uncertain or even non-existent, thus jeopardizing all the advantages of a continuous feed by gravity.
Such an approach, however, would have the disadvantage of subjecting the whole transporting structure to vibration. In addition to its prohibitive cost, this embodiment would not be readily applicable where shears equipment is provided. Further, power requirements would also be high, and the press as a whole would be excessively noisy.